by Alison | 17 Dec 2018 | Champagne, France, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
Well, we knew what the wines were going to be, so then to work backwards to choose the food. We had a Champagne and a Pinot Noir from New Zealand. The Champagne was flying solo, and we decided on a NZ rack of lamb (only fitting) cooked on the Weber Baby Q, with roast...
by Alison | 10 Jun 2018 | Australia, France, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, South Australia
NV Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Les Terres Fines, 100% Chardonnay Another boutique producer, this time from Cuis, and this time 100% Chardonnay. 30% of the wine is vin de réserve from a solera system started in 1986, disgorged 29 June 2015, zero dosage....
by Alison | 8 Oct 2017 | Chile, Other Reds, Red Wines
Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenère 2014 is made from hand-harvested grapes from Carmen’s vineyards in the hills of Apalta, in the Colchagua Valley in central Chile. Cedar and tobacco on the nose hint at the wine’s ageing in French oak, which creates a soft,...
by Alison | 25 May 2017 | France
To celebrate the second anniversary of their opening, we joined the party for a set food and wine pairing at our favourite Penang restaurant, Markus. Course 1, Texture of Fegato Three types of foie gras from hot to cold; ice cream, mousse, pan fry. I tried them in...
by Alison | 26 Sep 2016 | Australia, Red Wines, Shiraz, South Australia
Occasionally, if any of us have a wine of interest, a few of us wine loving Penangites will get together for a tasting. So here we were, Adrian, kindly offering his apartment, Choong and myself looking forward to three very notable wines: two significant 2010 Shirazes...
by Alison | 9 Sep 2016 | Other Reds, Spain
Once a month on a Monday night Choong and Markus of Restaurant Markus (sadly closed in 2020) conduct a wine tasting using some of the wines from their vast and diverse cellar. This is the first one I have been able to get to, and after this great night I am rather...
by Alison | 29 Jul 2016 | Cabernet, France, Red Blends, Red Wines
Pauillac is the largest city in the Medoc, on the Bordeaux Left Bank, and is home to three of the four original 1855 classification of First Growths, aka Premiere Grand Crus. These were Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and Chateau Margaux. Since there were...
by Alison | 21 Dec 2014 | Australia, Red Wines, Shiraz, South Australia
Tasted 17/12/2014 for our wedding anniversary dinner; well, you need an excuse, and we found one. We had it with a simple Weber-cooked whole piece of mesquite smoked rump steak, asparagus, corn and roasted tomatoes; in truth what we had in fridge at the time. It...
